debitsohn
Headphoneus Supremus
[size=12pt]Please keep in mind solderworksaudio.com and its owner, corey(fishski), never asked me to do this write up and i am in no way in business with him other than him building me my amp. the experience was just so refreshing in this industry with his AWESOME CS, build quality, attention to detail, and great personality, i wanted to write this up. [/size]
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[size=12pt]I have always disliked how the DIY amps look in general when compared to amps like the DecWares, Woos, and Schiits. I like the polished look, although many on this site would say that sound quality is all that matters, i am not one of those people. I want my gear to sound great and look great... i guess im shallow. I read here and there about the m^3 amp but wasnt sure at first if it was a portable or desktop amp since there is another amp called the mini3. I purchased my WA2 and was completely happy. What more does any person need? 1 great amp, 1 source and maybe 2 headphones. Well i thought it would be that easy...[/size]
[size=12pt]one day a very good friend of mine (through head-fi) Baka1969 mentioned that he was getting work done on his B22 amp and that he had the builder's m3 to listen too. he said it was about 80% of his b22 which for 40-50% of the price is pretty dang good. I decided that i wanted to try out a SS amp to compliment the WA2 and thought the m3 might make a good choice. I was also considering the concerto and repurchasing the SR71B. i emailed Corey and asked a few questions about him, his work, and the m3 amp in general. [/size]
[size=12pt]i barely had any knowledge of how amps internally work. he answered my questions with paragraphs, not just yes, no, i dont think sos. he explained his position and what he thought and asked me what i thought and what i was looking for. a lot of what he said flew over my head so i constantly asked for some clarification and he always explained things so i could understand. He was absolutely 100% thorough with me, my questions, and his explanations. i knew about 2-4 emails in that i was going to commission a build. thats how confident i was that he would do a good job. i commissioned the m3 and said he had "free reign on it". essentially i said, make it the best m3 you can and he was excited to hear that. each step, option, change, decision he passed by me and we talked about. he took my input and told me his and we came to conclusions. of course most of the amp itself is already setup as the layout and parts are all described on AMB's website but the face plate and certain upgrades were always discussed and we came to conclusions. [/size]
[size=12pt]And now the sound...[/size]
[size=12pt]I have never heard another m3 so i cannot say if this m3 is better or worse than others, but i have a feeling, it is better than most. [/size]
[size=12pt] Foobar2k > optical > Gamma2 DAC > KK Hero ICs > M3 with the AD8610 opamp > 4-con Norse cable > LCD2 [/size]
[size=12pt]I feel like the highs sound amazing on the m3 with the LCD2. Its smooth and not fatiguing. The mids are clear and very balanced sounding. a little farther back sounding than with the WA2 but its not a bad thing. i feel like the separation and individualism given to each instrument and sound is better on the M3 than on the WA2. the bass is lighter than i would like. I am a closet basshead and i like thumping but you dont get that with the m3. That being said its still balanced across the board according to my ears. Its not like the clarity is not a pseudo clarity because the bass is non-existent like some equipment but real clarity with balance. the m3 powers the LCD2 effortlessly and you can feel that it is effortless as you listen. the volume knob for anyone that wants to know is at about 1030-11. i dont have any other headphone to try it out to see if there is some noise with easy to drive phones. [/size]
[size=12pt]Foobar2k > optical > Gamma2 DAC > KK Hero ICs > M3 with the AD843 opamp > 4-con Norse cable > LCD2 [/size]
[size=12pt]Corey thought I would prefer this opamp because of my experience with tube amps... he was right. the sound is slightly more full. He said some clarity would be lost but its very little if any. i suppose gaining in body might make it seem like clarity was lost but i am loving the sound from this amp with this opamp. tad bit more bass but a little less than the WA2. The sound is still a little farther back than with the WA2 but its not a bad thing. again, powering the lcd2 effortlessly. I doubt ill be switching any opamps anymore... for me, this is it but i can see why some people would prefer the 8610. [/size]
[size=12pt]Tube or SS guy?[/size]
[size=12pt]if i had the money, id keep both. in the future id plan a b22 built by corey but right now, money is not something i have. were in some debt (nothing crazy but more than we have ever been in) and i feel like i need to do more for my family. i decided i need to sell an amp. after WEEKS of struggling between the m3 and the WA2, i decided to sell the WA2 in the coming week. Does that mean im no longer a tube guy? hmmm who knows... i hope to own another tube amp down the road as good as the WA2 or possbily just buy it again. its a work of beauty and sounds great. but one has to go and in the end, the sound from the m3 was so great, i chose. ill be sad...that WA2 was THE amp for me... the greedy me says to keep both and just struggle for a few months paying off this debt... maybe about 5 years i would have, but i feel like ive matured some and i need to do something to help. [/size]
[size=12pt]if youre looking for an amp in this price range or for a b22 that you KNOW will look and sound great, shoot him an email and check out his new site. [/size]
